The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-07
"a WOODEN IMAGE,
Henry Watterson Paints a Picture of
Cleveland.

Editor Watterson thus writes from Wash
ington to the Louisville Courier-Journal: 81
look upon the Democratic situation which
prevails In the national capital at this time
with kind Of sorrowful amazemeilt. On
every hand | encounter among the Senators,
among the Representatives, among the peo-
pie, but one sentiment, and that is discon-
tent and foreboding. The Republicans are
jubilant. The Democrats are discouraged.
The President sits with his back upon the
scene, and but yesterday said to friend,
who thinks just as do, II believe / have
done pretty WELL considering
He is the one man in Washington who is
blind to the truth and deaf to counsels Even
the Secretary of State, who has lived most of
his life in peach-blow vase, 5000 miles be-
yond the moon, is not, am told, wholly lost
to the real state of the case. But there seems
no help for it, A man as incapable of re-
celving impressions as of returning warmth.
and sensible of criticism only to the point of
resenting it, the President sits in the White
House like wooden image made to be wor-
shipped, not to be loved. To the weaker
members Of his cabinet he has impaired his
dull self-sufticiency and cold stolidity. The
most servile, as well as the sincerest, form of
fiattery, is imitation; and the beggars on
horseback whom Mr. Cleveland, seeking to
discover new political planet and to people
1t with creatures Of his own, brought into be-
ing and mounted, have caught the trick of
their chief, and are equally industrious and
successful in neglecting great for little things
and in seeing nothing clearly exec t the reg
ulations of the civil service. They, too, take
more Joy in one Republican who has repented
and turned Mugwump than in ninety and
nine Democrats who have never gone astray.
The other evening, after dinner where
the President met select party of Demo-
Gratis, 1t was proposed to hold a mock cabi-
net meeting: Oddly, this Man of Destiny,
VINO mas as llttle humor as acumen, and had
him, agreed to this. Therefore, each MEM
Der OF the company turned loose upon him.
ana IN a serlo-comic way, gave him the sort
OF TALK the Courier-Journal has been giving
nm the last two months. He listened with
complacency.
Finally, when the last speaker, one of his
| own political family, had put in q metaphori-
cal knock-down right between the executive
| eyes, he closed them, and leaning back in his
chelr and playing tattoo upon his ample
a
touch OF offended dignity: REALLY, gentle.
men, cannot see how | am to blame for all
TINS, or how can mend it." He then went
on to say that he would be glad to consult
with the Democrats of the House and Senate
but that when they came to the White House
to introduce stranger or endorse an appli.
cant, they Immediately went away again
lney, ne proceeded to explain, had theil
work to do, as he had his, and so there was
no time Tor consultation. There was not the
| least fhaf ha l. 4
TINS, as he is, believe, in all things else. i
u not most melancholy, and almost astound
ing that one who is by no means destitute
OF common sense and native craft should be
A near and old friend of his said To me not
long ago: of all the arid natures / eyel
encountered his is the most arid. He sym
pathizes with nobody, makes common cause
Win nobody, and in the most serious saffairs
trusts wholly and solely to fortune or ca
price" Tie author Of this description
nursed no disappointment, was far beyond
the reach OF presidential fear or favor. and
SIMPLY spoke. in the spirit of an historian
| and philosopher
rather to be pitied than censured. In sucl
| structures as have made upon his course.
| nave been inspired by two purposes
tne nrst to convey to him the real opinion
ana feeling of the party that elected him
the second, to have these Misunderstanding
Il sucn they are, out and done with befor,
tne advent OF the period when we shall all be
required to go to work to re-elect him.
preierred to do this publicly, because in tht
very inendly personal intercourse had La.
Will MN had encountered the good-natureC
complacencg which is his Distinguishing
characteristic ahd which all who apnroacf
MIN hnd watchfully on guard to invite TN
artiilces Of the self-scekfng and to repel tn,
diSinterested. A'
have never been afraid of omen DEALING
ana plan speaking In party, as in priyatt
counsels, they clear the atmosphere and de
leat conSplracles. / have said nothing. writ
Ten nothing, done nothing, therefore, which
VIII occasion me the slightest embarrass
mcnt III supporting him for second term
because four years more of the present dis
appointing order of things would still b,
preferable to a Republican restoration. ant
a :s never intend to stop telling the'truth un
III dle, shall live in the blessed hope thai
| even the obstinate mathematician of this
administration will ultimately receive its i'm
pressions and see itself as other see it. AS.
suredly, II know my own heart. il ha,
within 1t not one shadow of i'll will against
tne PRESIDENT or any member Of his Cabinet
ioa Two Of whom, at least | entertain senti.
ments OF aftectionate regard. But | truly
Deneve they are wrecking us; that the Pres.
ldent is solely responsible for this. though
certain members of his government are busy
helping him, and while | could hold nv
peace and leave the boys in the trenches
with no one to speak for them, the admins.
tratlon has given small, if any, reason for
the sacrifice of that which is the business al
my life, for the journalist is nothing If not d
vehicle OF communication and intelligence
extenuating much, but setting down naughi
| in malice.
:, The boys in the trenches will remember. Il
the quartermasters and commissaries abouI
headquarters have forgotten, an event on ths
| confederate side of our sectional war, which
| contains an everything lesson. During an
entire year General Braxton Bragg was i'm.
movable in certain line of military policy
He was equally rigid in his personality. Like
Mr.. Cleveland he was obstinate and up.
right. He resisted all remonstrance He re.
PEELED all suggestions. He refused all infor-
nation: He became odious to the rank and
file. Finally his generals, unable to stand il
longer, signed round robin to jefferson Da-
vls, who, another striking example of perverse
integrity, would listen to nothing. Then
the crash came. The next time the soldiers
VINO had sworn in their hearts that thew
would hight no more battles under Braxton
Bragg-the brave and loyal boys of the
trenches, who had made the maine of Ameri-
can manhood glorious and renowned at Shi-
Ion, Perryville, Murfreesboro and Chicka-
mauga-threw away their guns at Missiona-
ry Ridge and fled unfrightened from an i'm
pregnable position.
Let President Cleveland, while pursuing
the history Of Andrew jackson, pluck this
leaf out OF the mournful story Of Bragg and
paste 1t in his hat.
IL -sNAg